Miss Wang Weina, even your cousin won't do!

He took off his gloves, threw them contemptuously on the ground, and said:

"Here, I'll give you another chance to judge. You said Kal'tsit isn't a gentleman, so now you tell me, am I?"

"Who gave you the misconception that a duke of Ursus has the right to be so aggressive towards me?"

Chapter 159 Old Lynx, are you blushing?

Aggressive? Who's being aggressive now?

Grand Duke Urgai's face was so black it was almost as if ink could be squeezed out, but when faced with Wayne's accusations, he not only dared not object, but could only bow his head and apologize.

It was a widely acknowledged fact among the Ursus nobles these past few days that Wayne had little interest in banquets. Whenever a banquet was held, Wayne would invariably find an opportunity to slip away, either standing at the entrance to greet guests or simply disappearing altogether. Although he was the nominal host of the banquets, they were effectively self-sufficient. And in a self-sufficient banquet without any central authority, those who truly held sway were naturally the local bigwigs.

Just like Grand Duke Urgai. Although there are no fewer than a hundred grand dukes in Ursus, it's impossible for all of them to attend a small banquet. Usually, it's a group of about a dozen grand dukes, and they will give each other some face. This is also part of establishing "order." So, when his son clearly expressed his interest in the Rostov family's daughter, Grand Duke Urgai didn't mind stepping in as the person in charge.

Since everyone gives me face, I naturally have a say. As for Kal'tsit, although she is Prince Wayne's attendant, she is just an attendant.

If His Highness Vayne valued her, he wouldn't have left her alone at the banquet, drinking in silence. By Grand Duke Urgai's standards of beauty, a Feline like Kal'tsit, while not robust enough and not conforming to Ursus aesthetics, was still quite attractive. Vayne leaving her alone instead of taking her along was a sign of disrespect.

He couldn't comprehend how a prince could trust someone who was a complete stranger so much, even going so far as to entrust her with the crucial task of independently managing his noble relationships in Ursus. Not only could he not understand it, he couldn't even conceive of it.

Even now, he was still somewhat dazed, staring blankly at the white gloves Wayne had left on the floor, feeling a little lost.

Ask him to evaluate whether Wayne is a gentleman.

Putting aside whether you are or not, am I qualified to evaluate you?

This question is akin to asking Count Rostov whether I, Grand Duke Urgai, am a gentleman. Leaving aside my own answer, even if I were to say yes, I wouldn't have the right. Under the strict hierarchical system, only Emperor Fyodor of Ursus himself was qualified to ask that question.

Even other members of the Ursus royal family dared not make such remarks recklessly.

Grand Duke Urgai took a step back, his face stiff as a dried-out salted fish. He opened his mouth, momentarily at a loss for words. He wasn't stupid; he knew Wayne's words had set a trap for him. If he answered:

"You are certainly a gentleman."

Then Wayne could rightfully say, "In that case, I'm challenging Count Rostov to a duel, and you have no right to interfere." He would lose face.

If he were bold enough to reply, "You are not a gentleman."

That would be a serious matter. To openly "reprimand" a prince for being "unworthy of the name of a gentleman" at a banquet hosted by Prince Victoria and attended by numerous nobles would be a major diplomatic incident. Given His Majesty Fyodor's current aggressive stance towards the nobles, he might save face among his noble colleagues, but whether he can save his head would be a question. It might even become a story told by bards for a long time—the kind where they hurl insults at foolish nobles.

Grand Prince Urgai now has absolutely no intention of arranging the "marriage" between Count Rostov and his own child. He's in a bind, complaining bitterly. He looks at Wayne with feigned weakness, constantly giving him meaningful glances, as if to say, "Whatever you want, as long as you can save face and keep your head, I'll give you as much as you want."

But Wayne turned a blind eye and pretended not to see it.

He's not stupid; no matter what channel this happens through, it will eventually reach Fyodor's ears.

This is Ursus, not Victoria. For Wayne to publicly humiliate an Ursus nobleman, especially a Grand Duke, carries a great risk. That's why he has to go all the way.

Vayne and Fyodor didn't interact much, but Vayne knew that the emperor was one of the few sensible people in Ursus. He also hated the nobility and wished someone could help him humiliate them. This person could be a rising commoner, an upright minister, a nobleman himself, or even Vayne.

However, having Wayne do this meant he was also inadvertently slapping Ursus and Fyodor in the face. At this point, Wayne had no choice but to go all the way and give the nobles a good slap in the face. He wanted Fyodor to feel good enough to temporarily ignore the fact that Wayne had slapped him.

With Vina and Victoria behind him, Wayne also helped Fyodor slap the nobleman hard. Although it had no practical effect, he still felt good. He might even be able to take back the power of Grand Duke Urgai, who had "offended a state guest." A sensible man like Fyodor would definitely understand Wayne's meaning and wouldn't make things difficult for himself.

We might have to offer the other side of our face as well, so Wayne can do it again, and we can also take advantage of the situation to suppress a few more nobles.

This tactic is called trading face for power. Fyodor was pleased, Wayne achieved his goal, and only the nobles were hurt. Why would Wayne pass up such a good opportunity to accept Grand Duke Urgai's flirtatious advances?

"What? Has Grand Duke Urgai gotten sand in his eye?"

Wien asked with "concern." Grand Duke Urgai was so angry his face turned a deep shade of purple, but he couldn't lash out.

There was no other way, so Wayne pretended to be clueless, and the other nobles were just watching the show, so he had to choose one.

For an old Ursus nobleman who rose to power through military achievements and indulged in sensual pleasures, is it even necessary to ask whether he would choose the face of his family or his own mind?

"You are certainly a gentleman."

"I am both wise and frustrated," said Grand Duke Urgai.

"It seems that Grand Duke Urgai has good judgment."

Wayne nonchalantly pulled another glove from his bag and put it on. Calmly picking up a glass of red wine, he glanced at the bewildered onlookers and Grand Duke Urgai, feigning surprise as he raised his glass in a toast, then downed the wine in one gulp. His innocent expression seemed to say:

"It was Kal'tsit who proposed the duel, not me. I'm just asking you if I'm worthy of being a gentleman. Don't get the wrong idea, everyone."

Grand Duke Urgai realized that his wild imagination had completely outmaneuvered him; a grand duke had been made a fool of. He gritted his teeth and stamped his foot...

He turned 180 degrees on the spot, pulled up little Urgai, and left the banquet hall in a disheveled state.

What are we still doing here? Are we going to get whipped to death by Wayne? Are we going to continue to embarrass ourselves in front of the nobles and become a laughingstock?

Wayne watched his departing figure until he opened the door and was halfway out before belatedly speaking:

"Oh dear? Why is Grand Duke Urgai leaving? He has such good taste; I was hoping to have a few more drinks with him."

He smiled and turned to look at Count Rostov, saying:

"You agree, Mr. Rostov, don't you?"

"Your Highness... Your Highness." Rostov chuckled awkwardly, glanced at Natalia, and then gave her a "good luck" look. He immediately took a few steps back to the door and said, "Your Highness, I am very sorry. I have just arrived at St. Arthur's Castle and have not yet had an audience with His Majesty. Please allow me to leave the venue temporarily and go to the palace."

After saying that, he immediately slipped out the door, not even giving Wayne time to react.

Wayne, of course, noticed the meaningful look Rostov had just given Natalia. He shook his head, somewhat amused and exasperated, then turned to the other nobles present and said:

"Gentlemen, there shouldn't be anything else, so let's talk about a project in Victoria. I plan to build a memorial in my fiefdom of New Wales..."

Upon hearing that there was profit to be made, the slight unpleasantness from before vanished instantly. The banquet hall was quickly filled with a joyful atmosphere once again.

After Wayne finished speaking, he let the nobles begin their bidding among themselves. He bent down, patted Natalia's fluffy head—she was more than a loli but not quite an older sister—stood up, looked at Kal'tsit, and solemnly said:

"I'm sorry to have troubled you. Thank you for your hard work."

Why did you suddenly come in?

I was worried about you.

“What do I have to worry about?” Kal’tsit smiled.

Wayne shook his head: "I trust you to handle things. But I'm worried about you as a person."

I'm worried that you might accidentally turn Xiaozao Lu gay. She's still so young, and it's the time when her worldview is being formed.

Of course, Wayne would never say that out loud.

Kal'tsit blushed, raised her glass, clinked it with Wayne's, tilted her head back and gulped it down, then walked straight toward the restroom.

"Where are you going?" Wayne asked, puzzled.

“The restroom!” Kal'tsit replied.

It wasn't to go to the toilet; the reason was the same as when I went to the restroom for the first time.

She needed to wash her face thoroughly to cool down her burning hot skin and, incidentally, to calm her heart, which was pounding like a rock 'n' roll.

Chapter 160 Methods

Xiaozaolu was saved, but what to do next is a more troublesome matter.

Should he take her away? Leaving aside the fact that he hadn't informed Vina beforehand, what reason could he possibly give for taking Early Dew away? Humanitarian aid? To most nobles, political marriages were perfectly normal. They weren't really a matter of humanity or inhumanity. A duke's eldest son, a future powerful figure, marrying a count's daughter was even considered a condescension. If it weren't for Wayne's higher title, this whole affair might not have ended so easily.

Furthermore, regardless of Wayne's reason for taking Zao Lu away, once the events at the banquet spread, everyone would inevitably think, "Prince Victoria took a liking to Natalia, which is why she helped her," which would inevitably damage his reputation. Although Wayne didn't care much about such things, he couldn't ignore Vina and Theresa's feelings. Besides, Zao Lu, a mere 12-year-old girl, was someone Wayne really couldn't handle.

For a moment, Wayne and Natalia stared at each other, the usually clever and mischievous Wayne at a loss for words.

"Your Highness?"

Suddenly, Lilia, who had been ignored by Wayne, spoke up. Wayne looked up, noticed her face, and asked with some surprise:

"Ya Ye?"

“Aya?” Lilia was taken aback. “My name is Lilia, and I’m Kal’tsit-sensei’s… student. Nice to meet you.”

Lilia? Wayne snapped out of his reverie, remembering the identity of the woman before him. She was the mother of Aya (Luisa), a fiercely independent woman from Ursus who walked the battlefield of the Lost Dust. She was willing to sacrifice herself to assassinate a duke for the sake of her husband's revenge; even Wayne had to admit he admired her spirit.

Wayne quite liked her personality; she was one of the few righteous people he'd met who firmly believed in "never giving up on hatred." Wayne had always thought that anyone who constantly advised others to "let go of hatred to start anew, and that persisting in hatred and revenge only leads to emptiness" deserved to be struck by lightning. Even someone as magnanimous as Theresa knew the principle of "a gentleman has things he will and will not do; if you don't know the suffering of others, don't advise them to be kind." Those who constantly advised others to be magnanimous were just as despicable as the perpetrators. Most importantly, these so-called "righteous people" actually fell for this, letting go of their hatred on the eve of revenge, watching those who harmed their loved ones go unpunished, while they themselves indulged in blissful companionship with friends and lovers. It truly felt a pity for her deceased mother.

What? It wasn't the mother who died? No, no, no, you're kidding. How could someone who would accept such a proposal possibly have a mother?

Lilia is undoubtedly a mother with her own principles. She's very much to the liking of someone like Wayne who hates evil... well, this time really just in terms of character and qualities.

But wasn't she dead? Wayne clearly remembered that the guard who came to Victoria to hunt down Kal'tsit had explicitly said that the traitor who had escaped to Sami had been killed by him.

"You look surprised? Is there something strange about me?"

Lilia glanced at herself somewhat embarrassedly. She was dressed very conservatively, not exposing an inch of skin that shouldn't be exposed, a stark contrast to the socialites strolling through the banquet hall. She even looked a bit dowdy.

Wayne waved his hand: "No, no, it's nothing, I'm just a little surprised. Kal'tsit mentioned you to me."

Lilia blinked, asking curiously, "What did she say?"

“You are a great wife, but not a good mother.” Wayne shrugged, repeating the comment a literary giant on the internet had given Lilia after reading this part of the story.

As for whether Kal'tsit mentioned Lilia to Wayne, that's naturally not the case. But Kal'tsit must have mentioned her to Theresa, and at the very least, Fyodor would know about some of the things that happened at the Imperial Research Institute back then. Wayne could always find a source to blame. So she wasn't afraid of Lilia's doubts.

As expected, Lilia didn't doubt the truthfulness of Wayne's words. She merely lowered her eyebrows slightly, pursed her lips bitterly, and forced a forlorn smile.

"Teacher Kal'tsit is still Teacher Kal'tsit. She never holds back when she speaks, and she's always straightforward. But I have to admit, her words... are still so pertinent."

So Kal'tsit was always this blunt when she talked to you guys? Did the Riddler have a period of being a tough, straightforward girl ten years ago?

Decades earlier, did she have a period where she acted like a spoiled, coquettish woman?

Wayne tried to imagine it and suddenly shivered.

I can't even imagine it. Just imagining Kal'tsit makes my neck itch, like something is about to grab me.

Wayne quickly changed the subject:

“It’s a pleasure to see you here. Kal’tsit also said that you… went to Sami because of some things. I didn’t expect you to come back to Ursus.”

"She even told you about this?" Lilia asked in surprise, but still tacitly agreed with Wayne, nodding and saying, "I did go to Sami for some things, but I came back later. I opened a nursing home in the inner city of Saint-Germain-des-Prés, taking care of some homeless elderly people and children." Her expression struggled for a moment as she looked at Wayne and said, "To be honest, the situation at the nursing home isn't very good. I came here hoping to get some support."

Wayne blinked, and it took him a while to realize that Lilia was asking him for money.

The so-called support is actually "financial assistance," or financial aid. It seems Miss Lilia isn't doing too well? Indeed, although she escaped the Imperial Guard's pursuit and returned to Ursus, the expenses of opening a sanatorium in the inner city must be considerable. Given Lilia's straightforward and vengeful nature, she probably wouldn't get involved with those slick bureaucrats. Therefore, without government aid, how could she possibly become wealthy running a charity that's unlikely to make money on her own?

No wonder she attended the banquet. This banquet was probably the place with the most "opportunities" in Ursus in recent years. If she couldn't find a single supporter here, Lilia's sanatorium would probably be close to closing down.

Wayne was very interested in how she escaped the Ursus Guard's pursuit, because it involved an ancient, snowy kingdom—Sami. A kingdom close to Ursus, yet never conquered by Ursus, despite its extremely low levels of industrialization and urbanization, it stubbornly stood as a rock blocking Ursus's path to conquest. A frozen wasteland kingdom that never yielded, even during the most glorious reign of the former emperors of Ursus.

Wayne was happy to help Lilia; after all, money was the least of his worries. Victoria had plenty of things, but money was never an issue. But now, he had a better idea.